Pure Mountain Tao » roshihogan

The Tides

roshihogan — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 05:04:13 +0000

It is easy to get swept away from the Tao. The ebb and flow of daily life, the tides of contemporary culture, the demands on our time that blow us about like ocean winds: all these conspire to carry us away from being one with the Tao. Modern society acts as a riptide trying to drag us under and drown us. If we are not careful, it is easy to wake up and discover we are far from shore and that it is time for serious paddling to get back where we need to be.

roshihogan — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:18:36 +0000

The Tao is vague and obscure

It is in the shadows

It has no appearance

Yet is everywhere

Only be being vague

Can it be obvious

Only be being in the shadows

Can its light be seen

In Touch

roshihogan — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 05:36:16 +0000

What kind of things do you do to be in touch with the Tao? Do you chant? Do you meditate religiously? Do you use prayer beads? Remember, chanting is no more holy than listening to the murmur of a stream, counting prayer beads no more sacred than simply breathing, religious robes no more spiritual than work clothes.

Use A Compass

roshihogan — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 05:07:42 +0000

A master was telling some young disciples a story. “There was once a man who was taking a simple trip to town. He became disorientated by the hot sun and wandered around lost. All he had to do was continue walking north. When they found him, he had a compass in his pocket.“ A disciple asked “Why did he not look at his compass and find his way Master?“ The master answered, Why do people walk around lost in suffering when they have the teachings of the Tao to guide them? Knowing of the teachings of the Tao and not using them is akin to the man who walks around lost while there is a compass in his pocket.”

roshihogan — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 14:54:20 +0000

Are good and evil really that different?

Should I fear what the next man fears?

Should I follow who is in front of me

Even though he may not know the way?

Float like a leaf blowing in the wind.

Flow like water around a large stone

Clear your mind and throw your desires away

Power

roshihogan — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 05:02:56 +0000

So, are you impressed with your power and influence? Do you feel important? I suggest you go out and stand on a hilltop. Look up at the sky, the stars. What power do you have now? What good is your standing, your money? Feel how insignificant you are. Feel the power of the Tao instead of the power of your desires and ego.

The Value Of Silence

roshihogan — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 05:02:58 +0000

A disciple once asked, “Master, what is the value of silence?” The master told the disciple, “ So long as the bee is outside the petals of the lotus, and has not tasted its honey, it hovers around the flower, emitting its buzzing sound; but when it is inside the flower, it drinks its nectar silently. If a man quarrels and disputes about doctrines and dogmas, he has not tasted the nectar of the Tao; when he has tasted it he becomes still.”

roshihogan — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 03:27:32 +0000

Take away money and value

and thieves will vanish

Give up thoughts of fortune

And you shall become rich

You are surrounded by fresh water

Stop asking for a drink

Keep Walking

roshihogan — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:53:39 +0000

“Master, will I ever become enlightened?” asked a student. “Perhaps, why do you ask” said the master. “I ask because sometimes I get a little discouraged” replied the student. The master then said, “If I ask you to walk from here to Ghangzhou, can you say with absolute certainty that you will reach it?” The student said, “Not with absolute certainty Master, something could happen on my journey.” “This is true, but if you really wanted to reach Ghangzhou, would you keep walking in that direction despite the uncertainty?” asked the master. “Yes” replied the student. “Well then”, said the master “It would be best if you keep practicing even if you do not attain enlightenment, for any practice you perform will bring you that much closer.”

What To Seek

roshihogan — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 06:00:14 +0000

“When I leave the temple Master, what should I seek?“ asked a disciple. The master responded, “The Taoist always seeks out the natural and to be one with nature. Seek a connection to nature, whether it be walking on a beach, walking through the woods, or hiking on a misty mountain. Avoid the unnatural, the artificial, the trendy. Keep your distance from the daily toxins we face by being firmly rooted in the teachings of the Tao.”